My Demon Friends-Chapter 585 - 559 Highly Contagious

Li Daimao: I'm coming back tonight.

Upon receiving this message, Zhou Li blinked. Talk about speaking of the devil. He turned to Huai Xu and said, "Brother Nan said she's coming back tonight."

"Really?"

"That's what she said."

"Why is she coming back tonight?"

"I'll ask her."

Zhou Li slowed his pace and began typing his inquiry.

The reply came quickly.

Li Daimao: Ate something bad, just coming up to get it checked out.

Zhou Li: Is it serious?

Li Daimao: Not serious. If nothing unexpected happens, I can still game tonight.

Zhou Li: Did you eat too much again?

Li Daimao: [Angry Face Emoji]

Li Daimao: Not this time.

Zhou Li: Oh.

Li Daimao: I'll message you when I get there.

Zhou Li: It won't affect you?

Li Daimao: It won't.

Zhou Li: Good.

Li Daimao: Don't just reply with one word.

Zhou Li: Okay.

The Old monster had already walked ahead, treading along the railing by the riverside. The railing was topped with a long steel pipe, only ten centimeters in diameter, yet under her feet, it seemed like flat ground. For someone looking like Miss Zheng to be doing such a thing felt completely out of character... and yet, it also had a strange charm.

"What did Li Daimao say?"

"She said we could game together tonight."

"OH..."

Around ten o'clock at night, having told Aunt Jiang he was going to the internet cafe to game, Zhou Li left the house openly. He felt it was better than sneaking around.

"Be safe!"

"Got it."

He and Brother Nan had agreed to meet outside an eSports arena.

Before even crossing the street, Zhou Li spotted a delinquent-looking girl squatting by the entrance of the internet cafe, looking bored and swaying back and forth. That should be my girlfriend, no doubt.

He walked closer, and sure enough, it was her.

Although the dim lighting cast her entire face in shadow, the streetlight shone directly on her hair, making that antenna-like cowlick quite conspicuous.

"BROTHER LAN!!" Tuanzi called out excitedly from Zhou Li's embrace.

Hearing the voice, Brother Nan looked up. "You're here? Oh, is this Little Zheng or Huai Xu?"

"We're here!" Tuanzi chirped.

"I'm Little Zheng!" Huai Xu declared.

"It's Huai Xu. How long have you been waiting?" Zhou Li asked.

"Jusht arrived..." Brother Nan mumbled.

"What do you mean, 'jusht arrived,' meow?" Tuanzi tilted its head.

"Why are you talking like that?" Zhou Li asked Brother Nan.

"Hmm..."

"Huh? Let me see..." Zhou Li noticed something was off and stared intently at her. Seeing her turn her head to avoid his gaze, he took two steps to the side, circling around to her front.

This time, she didn't dodge.

She knew she couldn't avoid it.

Zhou Li asked curiously, "Why is your mouth swollen?"

"Shimilar to Guo Min..." she slurred.

"You're being very vague."

"Ish shwollen..."

"What did you eat?"

"Leshtalking, shtart the computer..."

"Okay."

Zhou Li walked into the internet cafe with her, stealing glances at her out of the corner of his eye.

She, meanwhile, kept glancing at Huai Xu, her thoughts unreadable.

No wonder they dared to call it an eSports arena. The internet cafe was well-decorated with a fresh, clean style. There were plenty of potted plants, mostly mint and pothos. The seating arrangement was spacious, and the computers looked like high-performance machines. Of course, the prices were higher as well.

The group consisted of three people and one cat. Huai Xu, using an ID card she'd procured from who-knows-where, handled the registration at the front desk.

Zhou Li noticed Brother Nan kept glancing upwards, eyeing the ceiling chandeliers. He pursed his lips and commented, "This place is decorated quite nicely, and it doesn't have much of an odor either."

"Thish ish Li..."

"The chandeliers look pretty nice too," Zhou Li added.

"?"

"What's wrong?"

Zhou Li inexplicably felt like he had said something wrong.

They found their seats, and Zhou Li sat in the middle. He had been holding Tuanzi, but the cat promptly hopped onto Brother Nan's lap.

Just as he powered up the computer, a phone rang.

Zhou Li glanced around and saw it was Brother Nan's phone. The screen displayed 'Old Zheng.'

"Your dad is calling you," Zhou Li said.

"Probably Mom, ashking 'bout my shituashion..." Brother Nan mumbled.

"Why aren't you picking up?"

"Ish too noishy in here..."

Knowing Zhou Li and Huai Xu had excellent hearing, Brother Nan made up an excuse, picked up her phone, and walked out of the internet cafe before answering.

Zhou Li was somewhat puzzled but didn't dwell on it.

「Soon」

Brother Nan came back in a rush, her face unable to conceal her joy, yet she also seemed anxious. "Ah need to go to da hospital. You guysh go ahead and play..."

"The hospital?" Zhou Li immediately stood up. "What happened now?"

Without thinking, Brother Nan replied, "My Fourth Uncle alsho got a lightbulb shtuck in hish mouth, HAHAHA..."

"?"

Zhou Li hesitated for a moment. "Also?"

Brother Nan's expression instantly froze.

Then, her expression turned serious, and she asked, "What exactly did you hear?"

Zhou Li answered honestly, "Fourth Uncle, eating a lightbulb, stuck, also."

After a pause, he added, "So, when you said you ate something bad, you meant you got a lightbulb stuck in your mouth and couldn't get it out?"

Upon hearing this, Brother Nan immediately took two steps forward, grabbed Zhou Li's wrist, and said with a fierce look, "Let's go! I'm gonna mesh you up tonight!"

Zhou Li was speechless. He glanced at Huai Xu and Tuanzi, then noticed people at a nearby table had looked up. Feeling utterly embarrassed, he muttered, "I was wrong."

"Hmph. It's good that you know you were wrong..." Brother Nan then released his hand. "Now, sit back down. Shtart the game. I'll go laugh at my Fourth Uncle'sh expenshe and then come back for you guysh..."

"But what on earth were you two thinking?"

"None of your businesh!"

"Oh. Take it easy then."

"Got it."

Brother Nan left in a hurry.

Zhou Li silently sat down, pulled Tuanzi onto his lap, and began to pet it. He wasn't in a rush. He just turned to Huai Xu and asked, "Shall we play a round first?"

Huai Xu said, "Let's wait for Li Daimao to come back! What's the fun in just the two of us playing?"

As expected.

Zhou Li stared at the screen, quietly waiting.

Outside, a Didi ride-share vehicle picked Brother Nan up.

Yan City wasn't large, and this place was particularly close to the People's Hospital, just a two or three-minute car ride away. It seemed likely that Brother Nan had just come from the hospital before meeting them here.

Not long after, Huai Xu stood up and said, "I'm going to wash my hands."

A poor lie.

However, Zhou Li merely glanced at her and didn't expose it.

「Approximately ten minutes later」

The Old monster returned and began to describe the events with vivid detail.

The gist of it was: Two hours prior, everyone in their village had learned that Old Li's beautiful granddaughter had gotten a lightbulb stuck in her mouth and couldn't remove it. Two hours after that, the entire village then learned that Old Li's younger son, the army officer, had returned home, refused to believe such a thing was possible, tried it himself with a lightbulb, and also gotten it stuck. Since Old Li's Family had no one who could drive, they had to wake up a neighbor to ask for help with a ride to the hospital. Brother Nan's eldest paternal cousin had accompanied them. Now, Fourth Uncle was too embarrassed to return to the village.

Zhou Li was at a loss for words after hearing this.

The thought that such... quirks might be passed down to his future descendants made him even more dismayed.

At eleven o'clock, Brother Nan returned.

Zhou Li sighed and asked with concern, "How's Fourth Uncle?"

"About da shame ash me..." she mumbled.

"Why on earth do you guys do things like that?"

"None of your damn businesh..."

"..." Zhou Li paused for a moment. "I'm just curious."

"..." Brother Nan also paused. "Me too, ash it turned out."

"I see." Zhou Li nodded. "So, can he still eat normally?"

"He can, jusht can't chew bonesh or eat shpishy food. No takeout during Shpring Feshtival. My Fourth Uncle can't cook either, and Ah have to cook for him tomorrow..."

"Then..." Zhou Li hesitated. "Should I go visit him tomorrow?"

"You wanna laugh at him too?"

"No, it's not that..."

"No need to exshplain! I'll take you!" Brother Nan patted his shoulder. Though her words were indistinct, she still acted with her usual swagger. "No more talking! Get on the game! Ah'll carry you guysh! Quick, quick, quick..."

The three of them hurriedly launched their games.

「The next morning.」

Zhou Li, carrying his beloved Kodiak milk, arrived at Brother Nan's home. He saw her Fourth Uncle and eldest cousin, both with swollen lips. He didn't say much, just lowered his head and greeted them, appearing quite well-behaved.